Police in England Chase Escaped Emu through Town

SHEFFIELD, England, Oct. 10 (UPI) — Police in Britain said morning commuters were shocked to see a “mystery emu” wandering around their neighborhoods.

South Yorkshire police said residents of Beighton ward in Sheffield, England, called police Thursday morning to report an emu wandering outside their homes and officers arrived to keep the flightless bird out of the streets.

“You couldn’t make it up — who would have thought we would have been dealing with a mystery emu when we turned up for work?” police Inspector Jason Booth told The Star.

“We started ringing local farms and people with smallholdings in the area and eventually found the owner,” he said. “They had only recently taken possession of the bird from a friend who could no longer look after it. It was quite early in the morning when it was reported to us so I don’t think its owners had realized it was missing, but when we tracked them down they came with a horsebox and took it back.”

“It certainly demonstrates the variety of police work and we are just pleased there was a happy ending,” the inspector said. “The emu was kept safe, it didn’t get loose on to the roads, and it has been reunited with its owner.”

Dawn Critchlow, 46, said she has been taking care of Eddie the emu for a friend.

“He’d only been with us a day when he took off! He didn’t get very far,” she said. “I’m looking after him for a friend who is not very well. We found him in someone’s garden eating their carrots.”